Medjool Dates with Walnut Cheese and Apple

I’ve really been enjoying some amazing raw food products this week from a local organic raw vegan producer called Botanical Cuisine.

They take the best organic, raw ingredients and make some of the best tasting gourmet creations I’ve encountered, including raw vegan cheeses, ice-creams, jams, pestos, sauces, pates and desserts.

And they come in these gorgeous jars to boot.

When I was growing up, one of my favourite snacks was a plate of dates, apples and cheese.

And cheese is one of those things that I’ve really missed in my progressively dairy-free, vegan and now raw lifestyle.

But this one makes up for it all.

The assistant at my local health food shop described the walnut cheese as “to die for” and rushed off to get me a sample. (I guess she knows me too well.)

All it took was one tiny taste and I was head-over-heels in love.

And when I got my jar of cheese home, it occurred to me that it would go perfectly with fresh medjool dates.

I ate quite a few of these babies before I even thought about taking a photo, and I couldn’t wait to finish so I could eat the rest.

It’s a really bold, rich combination, that worked so well that I had to put my head down on the kitchen bench the first time I tried it, just to absorb the impact of the flavours dancing across my tastebuds.

Could raw vegan food really taste this good?

Oh, yeah.

And a slice of apple in between each of these flavour bombs is the perfect way to balance the richness of the dates and cheese, and freshen up your mouth, ready for the next explosion.

Food used to be such a drag for me – I never thought I’d be one to talk about food like this.

But I have discovered the pure joy, the sheer sensual experience that food can be.

Tips

Be warned, you may find these date & cheese snacks very addictive. You may need to buy two jars, because one is never enough! (Ours barely lasted four days.)

If you’re unlucky enough not to have access to this amazing walnut cheese, trying searching for ‘raw cream cheese’ recipes on the internet and try one of the recipes you find. I may have a play with making my own at some stage, but for now I’m going to enjoy the results of someone else’s efforts.

Medjool dates are a softer, juicer variety of dates that you can get from the fresh produce section or a health food shop. If you don’t have medjool dates, you could use regular dates, although I don’t think the effect would be quite the same.

I used Royal Gala apples for my version of this, simply because that’s what we normally have in our house. Your favourite apple variety would work just as well, I’m sure.

What others are saying...

Hi! I just found your site, and love it. I love all your recipes… they look super delicious and I can’t wait to try them. :)
This looks really delicious!! Mmm… this is one of my favourite snacks! I stuff my dates with cashew butter. it’s the best, nutritious, most satisfying snack ever!!! Plus, it’s SO ADDICTIVE!!! ;) :) I made a similar recipe that I posted on my blog: http://rawveganliving.blogspot.com/2013/02/nut-butter-nectar-filled-dates.html

Thanks for your enthusiasm. I am as passionate as you are about showing others that healthy CAN be delicious (and easy too), and I hope that blogs like yours and mine will inspire many people to discover the many delights of raw vegan food.

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My favourite kitchen gadgets

Having the right gadgets has totally changed my experience in the kitchen.

High-speed blender

I use my Vitamix blender at least 2-3 times EVERY day. It's fast, so versatile and super quick and easy to clean. I couldn't live without mine. I absolutely love it!

Food processor

I use my powerful food processor three or four times a week, for making nut butters, desserts, sauces, burgers and more. It's great for large batches and dishes that need texture and just makes "cooking" so much faster.

Dehydrator

I use my 5-tray Excalibur dehydrator once or twice a week, for crackers, breads, biscuits, cakes or even just for thawing things. It does an awesome job and makes eating raw SO much easier.

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